Folk singer Kate McGarrigle, half of the duo the McGarrigle Sisters, mother to Martha Wainwright and Rufus Wainwright and former wife of Loudon Wainwright III, has lost her battle with cancer.
Kate was 63-years old.
McGarrigle was battling sarcoma, a rare form of cancer and took a bad turn in December. Last weekend, Rufus cancelled his Australian tour citing that his mother was critically ill. It was the first we knew of how serious Kate’s condition was.
Her sister Anna McGarrigle posted at their website, “Sadly our sweet Kate had to leave us last night. She departed in a haze of song and love surrounded by family and good friends. She is irreplaceable and we are broken-hearted. Til we meet again dear sister”.
Rufus posted at his website, “When inevitably I read today in the papers that my mother lost her battle with cancer last night, I am filled with an immense desire to add that this battle, though lost, was tremendously fruitful during these last three and a half years of her life. She witnessed her daughter's marriage, the creation of my first opera, the birth of her first grandchild Arcangelo, and gave the greatest performance of her life to a packed crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Not to mention traveling to some of the world's most incredible places with both my sister, her husband Brad, my boyfriend Jorn and myself. Yes, it was all too brief, but as I was saying to her sister Anna last night while sitting by her body after the struggle had ceased, there is never enough time and she, my amazing mother with whom everyone fell in love, went out there and bloody did it. I will miss you mother, my sweet and valiant explorer, lebwohl and adio. X”
The McGarrigle Sisters recorded 10 albums in both English and French. Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Billy Bragg have recorded their songs.
